Head up side view mirror

ABSTRACT

A motor vehicle includes a left side view camera attached to the left lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a rearward direction. A right side view camera is attached to the right lateral side of the body and has a field of view in a rearward direction. There is a right back up camera and a left back up camera. An optics module receives resulting video signals and produces light fields such that the light fields are reflected off of windows of the motor vehicle and are then visible to a driver of the motor vehicle as virtual images.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application Serial No._17/452,374, filed on Oct. 26, 2021, which is currently under allowance,and which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application Serial No.16/669,905, filed on Oct. 31, 2019, Now U.S. Pat. No. 11,186,225, Issuedon Nov. 20, 2021, and which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. ApplicationSerial No. 15/652,567, filed on Jul. 18, 2017, which is Now U.S. Pat.No. 10,501,018, Issued on Dec. 10, 2019, which claims benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/363,558 filed on Jul. 18, 2016, thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure relates to a head up display (HUD) in a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A head up display emits light that reflects from the front windshield tobe seen by the driver. The light appears to come from a virtual image infront of the driver and in front of the windshield. This type of head updisplay is currently commercially available.

Conventional head up displays create the virtual image by first using adisplay to create an image. Next, the light from the image is reflectedfrom one or more mirrors. Next, the light from the mirrors is reflectedfrom the windshield. The mirrors are designed and positioned relative tothe display so that the light seen by the driver, which is reflectedfrom the windshield, appears to come from a virtual image that isoutside of the vehicle. The mirrors and display are typically containedin a package that occupies a volume beneath the top surface of thedashboard.

Vehicles include side view mirrors which protrude from the side of thevehicle and which can impact things or be impacted by things, causingdamage to the mirrors and/or to the things that the mirrors impact orare impacted by. The side view mirrors also produce wind-drag when thevehicle is moving, which has a deleterious effect on fuel economy.

SUMMARY

The present invention may include a replacement for traditional physicalside-view mirrors in a vehicle. The present invention may provide alow-profile rearward-looking camera. A head up display may project avirtual image onto a window. More particularly, a “mirror” display isprovided in the form of a virtual head-up display projected in the samespace that the traditional physical mirror would have occupied.

The virtual head-up display can also be used to project alternateimages. For example, when the vehicle is backing out of a parking space,the side-view head-up display can show images captured by cameras in therear of the vehicle looking out laterally from the vehicle. These imagesmay show traffic approaching the vehicle from the left or right which isnot yet visible to the driver with the naked eye, as the driver’s viewis blocked by vehicles on either side as the driver backs out of theparking space.

The invention may include an object to project the image onto if thewindow is rolled down. A small stationary window segment may be providednear the front of the door, similar to the classic “wind wing”triangular vent window.

In one embodiment, the invention comprises a motor vehicle including abody having a left lateral side and an opposing right lateral side. Aleft side view camera is attached to the left lateral side of the bodyand has a field of view in a rearward direction. A right side viewcamera is attached to the right lateral side of the body and has a fieldof view in a rearward direction. A left back up camera is attached tothe left lateral side of the body and has a field of view in a leftlateral direction. A right back up camera is attached to the rightlateral side of the body and has a field of view in a right lateraldirection. An electronic processor receives images captured by each ofthe left side view camera, right side view camera, left back up camera,and right back up camera. A left video signal is transmitted based onthe images captured by the left side view camera and the left back upcamera. A right video signal is transmitted based on the images capturedby the right side view camera and the right back up camera. A leftoptics module receives the left video signal from the electronicprocessor and produces a left light field such that the left light fieldis reflected off of a left side window of the motor vehicle and is thenvisible to a driver of the motor vehicle as a first virtual image. Theleft light field is based on the left video signal. A right opticsmodule receives the right video signal from the electronic processor andproduces a right light field such that the right light field isreflected off of a right side window of the motor vehicle and is thenvisible to the driver as a second virtual image. The right light fieldis based on the right video signal.

In another embodiment, the invention comprises a display method for amotor vehicle, including attaching a left side view camera to a leftlateral side of a body of the motor vehicle such that the left side viewcamera has a field of view in a rearward direction. A right side viewcamera is attached to a right lateral side of the body such that theright side view camera has a field of view in a rearward direction. Aleft back up camera is attached to the left lateral side of the bodysuch that the left back up camera has a field of view in a left lateraldirection. A right back up camera is attached to the right lateral sideof the body such that the right back up camera has a field of view in aright lateral direction substantially opposite to the left lateraldirection. Images captured by each of the left side view camera, rightside view camera, left back up camera, and right back up camera arereceived. A left video signal based on the images captured by the leftside view camera and the left back up camera is transmitted. A rightvideo signal based on the images captured by the right side view cameraand the right back up camera is transmitted. A left light field isproduced such that the left light field is reflected off of a left sidewindow of the motor vehicle and is then visible to a driver of the motorvehicle as a first virtual image. The left light field is based on theleft video signal. A right light field is produced such that the rightlight field is reflected off of a right side window of the motor vehicleand is then visible to the driver as a second virtual image. The rightlight field is based on the right video signal.

In yet another embodiment, the invention comprises a motor vehicleincluding a body having a left lateral side and an opposing rightlateral side. A left side view camera is attached to the left lateralside of the body and has a field of view in a rearward direction. Aright side view camera is attached to the right lateral side of the bodyand has a field of view in a rearward direction. An electronic processorreceives images captured by each of the left side view camera and rightside view camera. The electronic processor transmits a left video signalbased on the images captured by the left side view camera, and transmitsa right video signal based on the images captured by the right side viewcamera. A left optics module receives the left video signal from theelectronic processor and produces a left light field such that the leftlight field is reflected off of a left side window of the motor vehicleand is then visible to a driver of the motor vehicle as a first virtualimage. The left light field is based on the left video signal. A rightoptics module receives the right video signal from the electronicprocessor and produces a right light field such that the right lightfield is reflected off of a right side window of the motor vehicle andis then visible to the driver as a second virtual image. The right lightfield is based on the right video signal.

An advantage of the present invention is that it may eliminate thephysical mirrors, thereby reducing the vehicle profile, and therebyreducing the wind drag of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention will be had uponreference to the following description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of side view cameras disposed on a motorvehicle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of back up cameras disposed on the motorvehicle of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic rear view of the driver’s side of the passengercompartment of the motor vehicle of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the vehicle of FIG. 1 backing out of a parkingspace.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a display method of thepresent invention for a motor vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a motor vehicle 10 of the presentinvention, including a left side view camera 12 and a right side viewcamera 14. Each of cameras 12, 14 may be low profile in that they aremounted too low on the body of vehicle 10 for the driver to see throughthe side windows. Camera 12 may be attached to a left lateral side 15 ofa body of motor vehicle 10, and has a conical field of view 16 definingan angle θ_(L). Similarly, camera 14 may be attached to a right lateralside 17 of a body of motor vehicle 10, and has a conical field of view18 defining an angle θ_(R). Vehicle 10 also include a steering wheel 20and windshield 22.

FIG. 2 illustrates a left side back up camera 24 and a right side backup camera 26 on vehicle 10. Camera 24 has a conical field of view 28defining an angle β_(L). Similarly, camera 26 has a conical field ofview 30 defining an angle β_(R).

FIG. 3 illustrates the driver’s side of the passenger compartment ofmotor vehicle 10. A head up display optics module 32 projects a lightfield 34 onto a driver’s side window 36. A human driver sitting behindsteering wheel 20, when looking at window 36 sees light field 34reflected off of window 36 as a virtual image that appears to bedisposed some distance outside of and beyond window 36. An electronicprocessor 38 receives images captured by left side view camera 12 andleft side back up camera 24 and transmits an image signal based on thecaptured images to optics module 32. Optics module 32 produces lightfield 34 based on the image signal from processor 38. In one embodiment,light field 34 is based on images captured by both left side view camera12 and back up camera 24 only when vehicle 10 is in the Reverse gear,and light field 34 is based on images captured by only left side viewcamera 12 when vehicle 10 is not in the Reverse gear.

A HUD system is shown on only the driver’s side (i.e., left side) of thepassenger compartment of FIG. 3 for clarity of illustration. However, itis to be understood that vehicle 10 includes a substantially similar HUDsystem on the passenger’s side (i.e., right side) of the passengercompartment, and which incorporates the images captured by right sideview camera 14 and right side back up camera 26.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of vehicle 10 backing out of a parking space 40.The position of vehicle 10 as vehicle 10 backs out of parking space 40in the Reverse gear is indicated by dashed lines. Back up cameras 24, 26capture images within respective fields of view 28, 30 as vehicle 10backs up, producing HUD virtual images reflected off of respective sideview windows 36, 42. Accordingly, the driver may see oncoming vehicles44, 46 approaching vehicle 10 within respective fields of view 28, 30before vehicles 44, 46 would have been visible to the driver with thenaked eye or with conventional side view mirrors.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of one embodiment of a display method 500 of thepresent invention for a motor vehicle. In a first step 502, a left sideview camera is attached to a left lateral side of a body of the motorvehicle such that the left side view camera has a field of view in arearward direction. For example, left side view camera 12 may beattached to a left lateral side 15 of a body of motor vehicle 10 suchthat left side view camera 12 has a field of view 16 in a rearwarddirection, as shown in FIG. 1 .

Next, in step 504, a right side view camera is attached to a rightlateral side of the body such that the right side view camera has afield of view in a rearward direction. For example, right side viewcamera 14 may be attached to a right lateral side 17 of a body of motorvehicle 10 such that right side view camera 14 has a field of view 18 ina rearward direction, as shown in FIG. 1 .

In a next step 506, a left back up camera is attached to the leftlateral side of the body such that the left back up camera has a fieldof view in a left lateral direction. For example, left back up camera 24may be attached to a left lateral side 15 of a body of motor vehicle 10such that left back up camera 24 has a field of view 28 in a leftlateral direction, as shown in FIG. 2 .

In step 508, a right back up camera is attached to the right lateralside of the body such that the right back up camera has a field of viewin a right lateral direction substantially opposite to the left lateraldirection. For example, right back up camera 26 may be attached to aright lateral side 17 of a body of motor vehicle 10 such that right backup camera 26 has a field of view 30 in a right lateral direction, asshown in FIG. 2 .

Next, in step 510, images captured by each of the left side view camera,right side view camera, left back up camera, and right back up cameraare received. For example, processor 38 may receive images captured byeach of left side view camera 12, right side view camera 14, left backup camera 24, and right back up camera 26.

In a next step 512, a left video signal is transmitted based on theimages captured by the left side view camera and the left back upcamera. For example, processor 38 may transmit a left video signal tohead up display optics module 32 based on the images captured by leftside view camera 12 and the left back up camera 24.

In step 514, a right video signal is transmitted based on the imagescaptured by the right side view camera and the right back up camera. Forexample, processor 38 may transmit a right video signal to head updisplay optics module 32 based on the images captured by right side viewcamera 14 and the right back up camera 26.

Next, in step 516, a left light field is produced such that the leftlight field is reflected off of a left side window of the motor vehicleand is then visible to a driver of the motor vehicle as a first virtualimage, the left light field being based on the left video signal. Forexample, head up display optics module 32 projects a left light field 34onto a driver’s side window 36. A human driver sitting behind steeringwheel 20, when looking at window 36 sees light field 34 reflected off ofwindow 36 as a virtual image. Light field 34 may be produced based onthe left video signal transmitted by processor 38.

In a final step 518, a right light field is produced such that the rightlight field is reflected off of a right side window of the motor vehicleand is then visible to the driver as a second virtual image, the rightlight field being based on the right video signal. For example, head updisplay optics module 32 projects a right light field, similar to leftlight field 34, onto a passenger’s side window 42. A human driversitting behind steering wheel 20, when looking at window 42 sees thelight field reflected off of window 42 as a virtual image. The lightfield may be produced based on the right video signal transmitted byprocessor 38. The invention has been described as projecting a head updisplay onto a side window. However, in another embodiment the image maybe displayed in a video monitor mounted in the dashboard or on thedriver’s door for the cameras on the driver’s side of the vehicle, andthe passenger’s door for the cameras on the passenger’s side of thevehicle. It is also possible for the image to be displayed in awindshield head up display.

The foregoing description may refer to “motor vehicle”, “automobile”,“automotive”, or similar expressions. It is to be understood that theseterms are not intended to limit the invention to any particular type oftransportation vehicle. Rather, the invention may be applied to any typeof transportation vehicle whether traveling by air, water, or ground,such as airplanes, boats, etc.

The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness ofunderstanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understoodtherefrom for modifications can be made by those skilled in the art uponreading this disclosure and may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A motor vehicle, comprising: a body; a firstcamera attached to the body and having a field of view in a rearwarddirection; a second camera attached to the body and having a field ofview in a lateral direction; an electronic processor configured to:receive images captured by each of the first camera and the secondcamera; and transmit a video signal, the video signal being based on theimages captured by the second camera only when the vehicle is in aReverse gear, and is based on the images captured by the first camerawhen the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear; and an optics moduleconfigured to receive the video signal from the electronic processor andproduce a light field such that the light field is reflected off of aside window of the motor vehicle and is then visible to the driver as avirtual image, the light field being based on the video signal.
 2. Themotor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the video signal is not based on theimages captured by the second camera when the vehicle is not in theReverse gear.
 3. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the side windowcomprises a first side window, the vehicle further comprising a secondside window disposed in a front door of the vehicle, the second sidewindow being movable relative to the front door between an upper closedposition and a lower open position.
 4. The motor vehicle of claim 1wherein the first camera and a steering wheel of the vehicle aresubstantially aligned in a lateral direction that is substantiallyperpendicular to a forward direction of the vehicle.
 5. The motorvehicle of claim 1 wherein the second camera is disposed at a rear endof the motor vehicle.
 6. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the firstcamera has a conical field of view.
 7. The motor vehicle of claim 1wherein the second camera has a conical field of view.
 8. A displaymethod for a motor vehicle, the method comprising: attaching a firstcamera to a body of the motor vehicle such that the first camera has afield of view in a rearward direction; attaching a second camera to thebody such that the second camera has a field of view in a lateraldirection; receiving images captured by the first camera and the secondcamera; transmitting a video signal, the video signal being based on theimages captured by the second camera only when the vehicle is in aReverse gear, is based on the images captured by the first camera whenthe vehicle is not in the Reverse gear; and producing a light field suchthat the light field is reflected off of a side window of the motorvehicle and is then visible to the driver as a virtual image, the lightfield being based on the video signal.
 9. The method of claim 8 whereinthe video signal is not based on the images capture by the second camerawhen the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear.
 10. The method of claim 8wherein the side window comprises a first side window, the methodfurther comprising: providing a second side window disposed in a frontdoor of the vehicle; and moving the second side window relative to thefront door between an upper closed position and a lower open position.11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first camera and a steering wheelof the vehicle are substantially aligned in a lateral direction that issubstantially perpendicular to a forward direction of the vehicle. 12.The method of claim 8 wherein the second camera is disposed at a rearend of the motor vehicle.
 13. The method of claim 8 wherein the firstcamera has a conical field of view.
 14. The method of claim 8 whereinthe second camera has a conical field of view.
 15. A display arrangementfor a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising: a first cameraconfigured to be attached to a body of the motor vehicle such that thefirst camera has a field of view in a rearward direction; a secondcamera configured to be attached to the body of the motor vehicle suchthat the second camera has a field of view in a lateral direction; anelectronic processor configured to: receive images captured by each ofthe first camera and the second camera; and transmit a video signal, thevideo signal being based on the images captured by the second cameraonly when the vehicle is in a Reverse gear, is based on the imagescaptured by the first camera when the vehicle is not in the Reversegear; and an optics module configured to receive the video signal fromthe electronic processor and produce a light field such that the lightfield is reflected off of a side window of the motor vehicle and is thenvisible to the driver as a virtual image, the light field being based onthe video signal.
 16. The arrangement of claim 15 wherein the firstcamera has a conical field of view.
 17. The arrangement of claim 15wherein the second camera has a conical field of view.
 18. Thearrangement of claim 15 wherein the video signal is based on the imagescaptured by the first camera and the second camera only when the vehicleis in a Reverse gear.
 19. The arrangement of claim 15 wherein the videosignal is not based on the images captured by the second camera when thevehicle is not in the Reverse gear.
 20. The arrangement of claim 15wherein the second camera is disposed at a rear end of the motorvehicle.